AR Fashion Show In Iran Features Invisible Models

Do virtual catwalks remove the limitations of conventional models or the humanity?

December was an important month for the Iranian fashion scene as the city of Tehran played hosted to an augmented reality fashion show; complete with digital models and a virtual catwalk.

Created with the support of Lotus, Iran’s first fashion & art magazine, the event featured computer-generated models strutting their invisible stuff up and down a real runway in some of Iran’s hottest clothing and apparel. Passerbys could view all the action via a VR Vision portal located at the end of the runway, or stand beside the runway and join the show as a high-class spectator. In reality you’d be staring at nothing, but hey, no one said being classy was easy.

The portal was provided by VR Vision, an immersive technologies provider for enterprise and business, with the actual AR technology itself developed by a foreign firm which chose to remain anonymous in order to avoid possible sanctions.

“We have some limitations,” spoke the expos director, Vida Jannesar, in a video posted by RT Play. “Our limitation is using a model in fashion shows. We have solved this problem with this company and we could have the virtual catwalk here for the first time. Now you see it in this event in the form of AR (augmented reality) and when you see it, it is like the models are walking; but the limitations of models have actually been deleted and there are no models there.”

The real question, however, is whether or not this can provide a positive impact on Iran’s fashion scene. On one hand, the AR fashion show could provide designers with an easier method for showcasing their female product lines within the country. However, one could also see this as further female suppression, removing woman from the equation entirely.

Outside of Iran, the concept of deleting a model entirely could theoretically do wonders for various other designers looking to better advertise their products. Removing the model, male or female, could destroy any distractions from the clothing itself, making it even easier for prospective customers to imagine themselves in those sweet threads.

It’ll be fascinating to see just how much VR/AR technology continues to impact not only the fashion industry, but entire cultures.